Overhead garage door



Sept. 12, 1933. w. D. FERRIS OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR jriginal Filed April 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TIMI/WWW am 7 i Sept. 12, 1933, w. D. FERRIS OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR Original Filed April 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR William D. Ferris, Sterling, Ill., assignor to Frantz Manufacturing 60., Sterling, 111., a corporation of Illinois Continuation of application Serial No. 445,867, April 21, 1930. This application March 24,

This invention relates to garage doors, and more particularly to doors of this kind which are adapted to open upwardly and assume an overhead position when the door is fully opened.

This application is a substitute for and continuation of application Serial No. 445,867, filed April 21, 1930, for the same invention.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction whereby a garage door, or other door of this general character, may be constructed in one section, so that the door is rigid from top to bottom thereof, but may nevertheless be moved upwardly and into. a horizontal position overhead, when it is desired to open the door.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efiiciency and the desirability of an overhead opening door of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention, consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,--

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a door embodying the principles of the invention, showing the adjacent portions of the garage or other building, and showing the door in closedposition.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the door in open position.

Fig. 3 is an inside elevation of the door and structure, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view, on a larger scale, of a part of the mechanism of said door.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a door 1 which is normally vertical, when in closed position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and which is constructed in one section, so that the door is rigid from top to bottom thereof. Said door is provided at each side of the upper portion thereof with wheels or rollers 2 adapted to travel on tracks 3- supported on beams 4 suitably located and supported within the structure of the garage 5 or other building, whereby the door normally hangs vertically in the doorway 6 or said building.

Levers (are pivoted at 8 on the brackets 9 secured at opposite sides of .the doorway, as shown, and the lower ends of these levers are pivoted at 10 on the door 1, on the inner side thereof. Springs 11 connect the upper end portions 12 of these levers with hooks or stationary attaching devices 13 at the bottom portion of the doorway, at opposite sides of the door. A bolt or pin 14 and a series of holes 15, in each upper end portion 12, to which bolt or pin the springs 11 are attached, provide means for adjusting the tension of said springs by shifting the bolt or pin Serial No. 600,912

8 Claims. (Cl. 2019) from one hole to another. This also serves to change or vary the leverage, in accordance with the weight of the door, or other conditions.

On the inner side of the door, around the edges thereof, weather stripping 16 of any suitable character may be employed, whereby the door may form a tight joint with the doorway.

I When the door is closed, it assumes a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the door at this. time being held tightly against a stop (not shown) at the lower edge of the door and doorway. 1 In this position, the pull of the springs 11 is about on dead center, or perhaps just a little the other side of the center, so that they tend to hold the door in closed position.

When the door is to be opened, it is swung out.- ward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and at such time the springs 11 tend to raise the door into open position, through the leverage exerted by the levers 7 previously mentioned. Gradually, in this way, the door is raised into open or horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will be seen, therefore, that the door opens overhead, but at the same time is simply one rigid section, the door being rigid from top to bottom and from one side to the other thereof.

It will be understood, furthermore, that the door can be provided with handles, both inside and out, or with pendent cords or chains, for manually controlling the operation thereof, so that the door may be opened conveniently and with little eflort by a person standing on the fioor of the garage, or standing outside of the garage.

It will be seen that the springs 11 operate advantageously to hold the door in open position, and also in closed position. When the door is in open position, these springs are contracted as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, but when the door is closed, these springs 11 are stretched or extended, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. When the door is closed, the springs 11 can be a little beyond the center, so to speak, so that they will tend to exert their pull in a way to maintain the door in closed position. When the door is pulled down from its overhead open position, the springs 11 serve to cushion or retard the downward movement of the door, so that the door will come quietly and softly into closed position.

The supporting instrumentalities include the wheels or rollers 2 and the tracks 3, as explained, and provide a fixed horizontal overhead plane of inward motion for the upper portion of the door, in opening the door, and during this motion the lower edge of the door swings outward and upward and gradually into an overhead position within the building. In this way, the door swings outward and away from any motor vehicle that may be standing in the garage, close to the door, whereby only a reasonable clearance is necessary between the door and the vehicle, when the door is closed, in order to permit opening of the door.

It will be seen that the door controlling means,

comprising the levers 7, have a position of less leverage when the door is in closed position than when the door is partially raised. In fact, the minimum leverage is in the closed position of the door, and the same is substantially true when the door is in its open position, the maximum leverage occurring when the door is substantially or approximately half way open. This arrangement results in a quiet and easy opening of the door, a quiet and easy closing of the door, without jolting or slamming, and with the tension of the springs properly adjusted or regulated, very little effort is needed to open and close the door.

With the construction shown and described, and the organization of the different elements as shown, the door is supported approximately at its four corners when in horizontal overhead open position, the counterbalancing means being pivoted at fixed points adjacent the lower corners of the door, while the rollers 2 are secured at fixed points on the door adjacent the upper cor ners thereof. In this way the door practically exerts no leverage on the counterbalancing arms 7, as there is practically no overhanging portion of the door, when in open position, the weight of which would tend to exert a leverage on the upper ends of the arms 7. In effect, therefore, the weight of the door on the arms 7 is minimized, and there is no sagging action or tendency of the door which would tend to exert any leverage on the upper ends of the arms 7, and which would cause-the door to have a constant tendency to swing down into closed position, as at no time does the door approximate a lever with its weight at one end exerting a downward pressure on the fulcrum point of the lever, for to the contrary the door in overhead position is supported approximately at all four corners thereof, whereby only the middle portion of the door tends to sag, and this does not occur inasmuch as the door is stiff and rigid throughout its area.

Thus it will be seen that the spring means are practically on center, so to speak. both in the closed position of the door and in the open position thereof. In this way, the door approaches the open position thereof with a gradual reduction of the power of the spring means, so that the door arrives gently in open position, instead of with shock or jolt. The lifting power becomes gradually less, until it is practically zero or nothing by the time the door is in overhead open position. Thus the springs tend to slow the door into open position, but if the door moves farther the lever ends 12 will strike the building, at each side of the doorway, and thus limit the opening movement.

By shifting the stud or bolt 14 from one hole 15 to another, the tension of the springs is changed, and the leverage is also changed, as the effect is to either lengthen or shorten the shorter end portions of the two levers. In this way, adjustable or changeable leverage means are provided for changing or varying the points on said levers where the spring tension is exerted on each lever, and the lifting power of the springs and levers is thus adjustable or changeable in accordance with the weight of the door, permitting accurate regulation of the instrumentalities to insure the proper opening and closing action of the door.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the springs 11 are spaced apart toafford passage between them of a motor vehicle when the door is in overhead open position. In the structure which is illustrative of the invention these springs maintain their position at each side of the passage thus provided for the motor vehicles, both in the closed and open positions of the door. Also, the tension of the springs is susceptible of regulation by means spaced apart at opposite sides of the passage thus formed for the motor vehicles, and in this way the spring controlled lifting apparatus may be delicately adjusted for doors of different weights to prevent slamming of the door in either its final open or closed position.

It will be seen that the springs 11 are attached to the door frame at the rear thereof, which means on the inner side of the door frame, and that the points of attachment, the screw eyes 13, or any other suitable means of attachment, are mounted laterally of the door opening, and that by this construction the two springs are entirely inside of the doorway in both the open and closed positions of the door, the door in its horizontal overhead open position being substantially in the horizontal plane of the tracks 3 upon which it is supported.

And, of course, the important and advantageous thing is that the springs do not project through the doorway, or into the doorway, where they could be damaged, or where they might damage the top of a car, when the door is in open position.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a door frame defining an open ing, of a door, substantially horizontal guides adjacent the upper portion of said opening on which the upper end of the door is pivotally and slidably supportedyand means at each side of the opening for guiding and supporting the lower end of the door for movement of the door from a vertical to a substantially horizontal elevated position, each said means comprising a lever pivotally supported on said frame for movement about an axis parallel to and adjacent the plane of the frame and opening, one arm of said lever being pivoted to the door adjacent the lower end of the latter, and a tension spring connected between the other arm of the lever and the frame. the point of pivotal connection between the lever and door being disposed substantially vertically above the point of pivotal support of the lever in the elevated position of the door.

2. Supporting means for doors of the type in which the upper portion of the door is supported on substantially horizontal guides permitting tilting and upward bodily movement of the door from a vertical to a substantially horizontal elevated position, comprising at each side of the doorway a lever pivoted for movement about a fixed axis parallel to and adjacent the plane of the door when the latter occupies the vertical position, a pivotal connection between one end of the lever and the lower portion of the door, and a tension device acting between the opposite end of the lever and a fixed point adjacent the plane of the door, whereby the weight of the door is transmitted substantially vertically through the pivotal axis of said lever when the door occupies the upper, substantially horizontal position.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a door frame defining an opening, of a door, substantially horizontal guides adjacent the upper portion of said opening on which the upper end of the door is pivotally and slidably supported, and means at each side of the doorway for guiding and supporting the lower end of the door for movement of the door from a vertical to a substantially horizontal elevated position, said means comprising a lever pivotally .supported on said frame for movement about an axis parallel to and adjacent the plane of the frame and opening, one arm of said lever being pivoted to the door adjacent the lower end of the latter, and a tension spring connected between the other arm of the lever and the frame at a point on the frame located below the point of pivotal support for the lever, the point of pivotal connection between the lever and door being disposed substantially vertically above the point of pivotal support of the lever in the elevated position of the door.

4. In a closure device for a structural opening, the combination with a vertically disposed frame defining the opening, of a door, guide means fixed with respect to said frame and extending inwardly of the opening adjacent the upper end thereof, means secured to the upper portion of the door for supporting the latter on said guide means for movement inwardly of the opening, a. lever at each side of said opening pivoted inter- 'mediateits ends on said frame at a point adlacent the opening, one arm of said lever having an articulated connection with the lower portion of said door, and a tension device connected at one end to said frame acfiacent the opening and at its other end to the free arm of said lever, the length of the first namedlever arm being such that the closure member and lever and tension device approach a common vertical plane when the closure member is moved into vertical position in the opening or into the horizontal open position adjacent the upper portion of the opening.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a door frame defining an opening, of a door, substantially horizontal guides adjacent the upper portion of said opening on which the upper end of the door is pivotally and slidably supported, and means for guiding and supporting the lower end of the door for movement of the door from a vertical to a substantially horizontal elevated position, said means comprising a rigid element pivotally supported on said frame for movement about an axis parallel to and adjacent the plane of the frame and opening, said element being pivoted to the door adjacent the lower end of the latter, and means including a tension spring acting between said frame and said door, the point of pivotal connection between the said element and the door being disposed substantially vertically above the point of pivotal support of the element on the frame in the elevated position of the door, said spring lying entirely outside of the opening measm'ed laterally and to the rear of the frame in all positions of the door.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a door frame defining an opening, of a door, substantially horizontal guides adjacent the upper portion of said opening on which the upper end of the door is pivotally and slidably supported, and means for guiding and supporting the lower end of the door for movement of the door from a vertical to a substantially horizontal elevated position, said means comprising a rigid element pivotally supported on said frame for movement about an axis parallel to and adjacent the plane of the frame and opening, said element being pivoted to the door adjacent the lower end ofthe latter, and means including a tension spring acting between said frame and said door, the point of pivotal connection between the said element and the door being disposed substantially vertically above the point of pivotal support of the element on the frame in the elevated position of the door, said spring being attached to the frame at the rear thereof and laterally of the opening.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the come bination with a door frame defining an opening, of a door, substantially horizontal guides adjacent the upper portion of said opening on which the upper end of the door is pivotally and slidably supported, and means for guiding and supporting the lower end of the door for movement of the door from a vertical to a substantially horizontal elevated position, said means comprising a rigid element at each side of said opening pivotally supported on said frame for movement about an axis parallel to and adjacent the vertical plane of the frame and opening, said element being pivoted to the door adjacent the lower end of the latter, and means including a tension spring at each side of said opening acting between said frame and said door, the point of pivotal connection between the said element and the door being disposed inside of the vertical plane of the door and substantially vertically above the point of pivotal support of the element on the frame in the elevated position of the door, said spring being attached to the frame at the rear thereof and laterally of the opening, each spring being inside said vertical plane in the open position of the door, and in the closed position thereof.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a door frame defining an opening, ofa door, substantially horizontal guides adjacent the upper portion of said opening on which the upper end of the door is pivotally and slidably supported, and means for guiding and supporting the lower end of the door for movement of the door from a vertical to a substantially horizontal elevated position, said means comprising a rigid element at each side of said opening pivotally supported on said frame for movement about an axis parallel to and adjacent the vertical plane of the frame and opening, said .element being pivoted to the door adjacent the lower end of the latter, and means including tension springs, one at each side of said opening acting between said frame and said door, the point of pivotal connection between the said element and the door being disposed inside of the vertical plane of the door and substantially vertically above the point of pivotal support of the element on the frame in the elevated position of the door, said springs being associated with said element and attached to the frame at the rear thereof, both the springs and said element being substantially vertically disposed inside of said vertical plane in the open position of the door, and in the closed positionthereof, said door when open being substantially in the plane of said tracks.

WILIJAM D. FERRIS. 

